Category: Tech
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Technology and Cymraeg
Technology and Cymraeg In June 2024 Welsh Government launched a ‘call for information‘ on what is needed to make technology more friendly to Cymraeg. I produced a response to highlight the power of open source in enabling low-cost, high quality and ‘translation-friendly’ services. I post the response in full below. Hashtags: #Cymraeg #LlywodraethCymru #WelshGovernment #OpenSource…
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Tech for Good Cymru – first meeting
Tech for Good Cymru – first meeting The inaugural meeting of Tech for Good Cymru took place on the evening of 20 June 2024. Here’s a quick summary of events. Background The Tech for Good network is an established ‘network of networks’ that has branches in different countries and regions of the UK. A steering…
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Linux mobile; safer phones for children?
Linux mobile; safer phones for children? I have two children in primary school. They live in a world where mobile phones, and specifically smartphones, are ubiquitous. And …. that’s not necessarily a bad thing. When used ‘smartly’, mobile phones are valuable sources of information, entertainment, organisation and communication. However there are downsides, as I describe…
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Changing diet
Changing Wales’ diet There was an interesting thread on LinkedIn last week, discussing things like Wales’ relience on imported fruit and vegetables. Predominantly Brexit-related issues, but it did spark a few comments about what Wales could and should be producing. And it led me to consider whether public procurement in Wales should only incorporate vegetarian…
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A radical digital syllabus for primary education in Wales
A radical digital syllabus for primary education in Wales I recently undertook some training on futures thinking. I was struck by the following statement about how to consider ‘futures’: Start with where you want to be, not where you’re coming from. The basis of this post is the sort of skills and confidence that I…
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At last – a social media conference for Wales 🥳🙄
I was intrigued and delighted to see that a company is holding a social media conference for Wales. I’m a big fan of skilling-up in Wales, and a big fan of digital media. So, naturally, I offered my services for extolling the benefits of open source social media. I got a thumbs-up on my comment…
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Learning to learn
I’m late to the VUCA party – the acronym was coined in 1987 to reflect Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity1. I’ve since come across it a few times in relation to the nature of society, with particular regard to the rate of change in the digital world and the natural environment. It’s hard to disagree;…
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Welsh Government’s approach to ‘digital’
Welsh Government’s approach to digital is being described through a series of blog posts. I’m really encouraged by this approach to a new #digitalstrategy for Wales – and for public services in particular. I like the way that a blog is being used to describe each of the ‘missions’ which underpin the strategy, and I think…
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Open source social media will save our democracy
In an opinion piece in yesterday’s Guardian newspaper, Carole Cadwalladr describes how Facebook is the virus that has enabled the catastrophes of both Brexit, and the ascension of Mr. Trump to the White House. Facebook allows lies to spread virtually unchecked. It permits those people with the most money and least scruples to disseminate falsehoods…
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‘Hwyl fawr’ Twitter
I’ve long been intrigued by the interplay between the dark money that fuelled Brexit (amongst other nominally democratic events), and the use of social media to persuade and to influence. I’m surely not the only person who feels intense disquiet about the use of money to spread lies and misinformation – and the seeming impunity…